"Hey kid, how was it? I came at just the right time, didn't I?"On the car ride back, the Drunken Maniac crossed his legs leisurely while chugging on a bottle of alcohol."They couldn't have done anything to me even if you hadn't come." Dustin shrugged."Oh, come on. Quit acting strong." The Drunken Maniac gave him a quick once over before he pursed his lips. "You used the secret Rhys technique to forcibly boost your cultivation. Now that the time is up, there's bound to be a recoil. Had I not shown up in time, you'd probably have died here today."Though the secret Rhys technique allowed one to forcibly boost their cultivation, there was a huge price to pay for it.It could deplete one's vitality or greatly weaken the person's body. If the person who used it was captured by his foes in his weakest state, it was highly likely that he might die."Pretty observant, old man."Dustin chuckled. Seeing that there was no point hiding things any longer, he pulled a silver needle out o
"Old man! What nonsense! You're the one incapable in that area! I am a champion at that!" Dustin was a little flustered.He got too emotional, and as a result, he started gasping heavily as he spoke. With his pale face, he was the very picture of being weak."Fine, you're the champion. I know that already. Don't get too excited." The Drunken Maniac nodded his head indifferently in an attempt to pacify him. "Regardless, this is a very rare piece of treasure. Just keep it for emergencies, alright?" He slid the bottle of medicine into Dustin's pocket as he spoke."You—" Dustin felt insulted. As he was about to explode, he started coughing violently."It's alright. Stop talking. I get what you're trying to say." The Drunken Maniac gave Dustin a pat on the back. He then turned and said, "I have to leave now. I still have a flight to catch. Remember to take the medicine on time so you'll have a child soon!"With that said, the Drunken Maniac disappeared in a flash."Take care, old
"Ever since a new leader took over the Harmon family, the family bowed to the Grant family. They even took over the Harmon family's properties. I think Tyler Grant will show his true colors soon after the engagement." Natasha's expression became serious.The dispute within the Harmon family brought about bad blood among the brothers. Families were now enemies. It was a serious crisis in the family. Fortunately, she foresaw this. She had transferred the properties under her name to Oakvale. By doing so, she had protected some of the family's foundation."Natasha, speaking of the Harmon family, what does your father think of all this?" Dustin asked. With Hector's network and reputation, he had a high chance of winning if he decided to fight back."My father is still trying his best to salvage the situation. He's trying to talk some sense into my uncles. However, I don't think it's working." Natasha shook her head.Her father was a good man. Too good to a fault, in fact. He wa
Trent and Kate stood beside him meekly. They didn't dare to make any noise, and they appeared pitiful.When they were captured by the Dark Panther Cavalry, they were released in just two days. From what they could deduce, Tyler must have convinced the Scarlet Warrior to let them go. This was enough to prove that they had placed their loyalty on the right person."Our engagement is tomorrow. Is everything ready?" Tyler finally spoke after finishing one round of chess."Well …" Trent's expression froze when he heard that, and he instinctively looked at his daughter."Tyler, we almost succeeded. But Dustin Rhys, that bastard, ruined our plan and captured us." Kate cursed as she explained."That's enough. I don't want to hear excuses." Tyler threw them an icy glance.He continued, "I want to see results, not the process. According to our deal, you'll get me the treasure map, and I'll give you my support to rise to power. "After that, we'll unite our families by marriage and achie
Trent had already lost his son. He didn't want to sacrifice his daughter's happiness and future as well. As such, he wouldn't mind being the bad guy, even if it meant betraying his brother."Dad! I knew you had it in you!" Kate was very happy when Trent agreed to her plan. "I believe we can solve any issue when we work together as father and daughter!" Everything else would fall into place once she had convinced her father."Kate, I accept your idea on one condition. You can't put your uncle's life in danger." Trent gave her a stern warning."Don't worry, Dad. I'm only doing it for the treasure map. If Uncle Hector surrenders the map to us, I won't hurt him, of course," Kate promised immediately. However, if he refused to cooperate, they couldn't blame her if she decided to be inhumane."Very well, I feel a lot better with your guarantee." Trent nodded.He continued, "Anyway, we still have another problem. There's a very competent martial artist protecting Hector in secret. Wi
He had seen many pretty women. However, he had never met a vixen like Kate. She knew how to flaunt her charm to its peak. The most important thing was this exceptional beauty before him was his future sister-in-law. The real abyss of desire was the excitement of committing the forbidden. It was tempting.Kate suddenly let out a sad sigh."What's the matter? Is there anything bothering you?" Vlad asked."It's nothing. Please enjoy your meal. It's just a small issue. It's nothing." Kate forced a smile, pretending to be reluctant. It would be very suspicious if she asked for help directly. But, if the other party insisted on finding out, it'd be a different scenario. "Kate, we're family. Please tell me if something is troubling you. I'll definitely help!" Vlad appeared to be very sincere, placing a hand on his chest."It's fine. You're injured. I shouldn't trouble you." Kate shook her head pitifully."Kate! What are you talking about?" Vlad put down his fork.He said unhappily
It was late at night. The crescent moon shone with a faint silver glow as a black car stopped in front of the Grant mansion.Vlad was the first to get out as the door swung open. He quickly directed his men as they carried a huge burlap sack and rushed into the house.Silently and discreetly, they made their way to a secret room.These were the lupine guards of the Grant family, and the secret room was a place for interrogation."Open it!" Vlad ordered as he sat on a chair, pouring himself a glass of wine. One of the men deftly tore through the sack with a knife. Out tumbled a man, his hair disheveled and wounds visible across his body. It was Hector!"Old man, do you know who I am?" Vlad asked with an icy gaze, swirling the wine in his glass."Are you Vlad Grant?" Hector took a careful look at him. He was quick to notice that something was amiss."Hey! You're quite smart. You actually know me." Vlad took a huge gulp of wine and said coldly, "Since you already know who I a
Hector's muscles on his face began twitching uncontrollably, and he was sweating profusely. Nevertheless, his gaze remained steadfast despite the extreme pain inflicted upon him."Well, well! It looks like if I don't up my game, you won't give up the map easily." Vlad was annoyed. He chucked away the boning knife and browsed through the torture rack again. As such, many torture instruments of different sizes and functions began piling up on the table."See these treasures? I will use all of them on you. I hope you don't die quickly!" Vlad sneered, picking up another torture instrument.With that, the endless cycles of physical torment continued.Time ticked by slowly. The secret room stank of blood while things appeared calm and well just outside the room. Kate paced outside restlessly. It had been three hours since they started interrogating Hector. However, they still got nothing. Time was running out as they only had a few hours till the break of dawn. If she didn't have t
Glenn wasn't just skilled in swordsmanship, but his technique was also flawless. Every strike was unpredictable, relentless, and impossible to block. His attacks came in waves, and each one was stronger than the last.What made him even more terrifying were the six divine swords that obeyed his every command. They were like extensions of his will. The swords threw Dustin off balance, attacking from every direction and blocking any chance of escape. They moved in perfect sync with Glenn and left no room for counterattacks.Dustin had no choice but to dodge and parry. If not for his incredible agility and mastery of the sword, he wouldn't have lasted more than a few breaths.Even so, the pressure was overwhelming. It felt like he wasn't just facing Glenn but six or seven skilled opponents at once. Any slip in focus, or any opening, could be his last.The real challenge was that Dustin wasn't gaining any ground. While he had to stay focused on dodging and blocking, he also had to se
Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Dustin and Glenn stepped onto the battle ring. They stood about 30 feet apart, and their eyes locked across the distance. Their gazes met like sparks, and they could feel the weight of the other's stare."Are you Logan?" Glenn asked, breaking the silence.He had heard the rumors about this dark horse before stepping into the ring, but now that he was facing him, he wasn't sure."Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is who wins this fight." Dustin didn't confirm or deny it, but his words left Glenn with no doubt.Both men were at the top of the Legendary List and held equal rank on the Champ-Tier List. Until they fought, no one could say who was the stronger of the two."I heard you're Seth's disciple, so I'm really looking forward to this." Glenn's gaze sharpened.Many years ago, his mentor, Cyrus, was defeated by Seth. That loss had always haunted Cyrus ever since. Now, with the disciples of both men about to face off, Glenn was determin
"Since Madam Penelope has spoken, I’ll follow her lead," Alloy said with a smile. "What about Mr. Hadley and Sage Foyer?""I'm in if you want to make a bet," Cyrus replied coolly."It's not every day we get an opportunity like this. Let me stir things up a bit." Kaden nodded with a grin.Once the three had agreed, Penelope waved for Abigail to come over.Soon, Abigail approached them with a wide grin. "Esteemed guests, I hear you want to bet. The current odds are—bet on Dustin to win, and you'll get 1.6 times your stake. Bet on Glenn, and it's only 0.4."She continued, "And no worries—if you win, I'll exchange your winnings for celestial stones." Abigail smiled brightly, and the other parties' eyes gleamed with the unmistakable shine of greed.Many had already placed their bets with her. Though she couldn't control the match's outcome, she knew how to adjust the odds to her advantage. Over time, that could turn into a huge fortune."I'm betting on Glenn to win." Cyrus quickly
"We're ready for the ultimate showdown of this tournament. The winner will be crowned the Combat Tournament Champion. Now, let's welcome both contestants to the ring." Oron's voice thundered as he stepped onto the battle ring.There was thunderous applause and cheers from the audience.The long-awaited showdown was finally at hand. Today's outcome wasn't just about personal glory, but it would also decide the future of the martial world.If Glenn triumphed and claimed the crown, the Sword Union would rise as the undisputed guild. The Celestial Alliance and the Mystic Arts Order would have no choice but to bow to their supremacy.But if Dustin won, it would be even more sensational. A dark horse, without any guild affiliation, defeating the elite disciples of the major guild—such a story would send shockwaves through the martial world.Once that happened, every major guild would fight tooth and nail to claim him. It would spark a fierce battle for dominance."Dr. Rhys! Good luck!"
"H-Hold on! I-I surrender!" Abigail said urgently. With the sword inches away from her throat, she decisively raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.She didn't expect herself to win the match. Her goal was simply to take this opportunity to test Dustin's strength and also gauge her own progress. But now, it was clear that there was still a sizable gap between them."You've done well. In a few more years, I might not even be able to keep up with you." Dustin smiled and lowered his Celestial Blade. His words weren't flattery; he genuinely saw potential in Abigail.The dark Phoenix flames carried a corrosive power that even his mystical pure energy couldn't resist. In other words, Abigail's black flames were the bane of any martial artist.Her journey in the martial world was still short—barely two years. She hadn't unlocked the full potential of her Phoenix bloodline yet. But with more training and experience, the sky was the limit for her."Don't try to console me, Sir. I'm n
With a resounding bang, the golden light erupted with a burst of terrifying energy wave. In an instant, the earth trembled, and fierce winds whipped through the air.Dustin and his sword were sent flying several yards. After landing, he stumbled back several steps before finally steadying himself.He looked up and saw that Abigail's body was now covered in a layer of golden armor, though he couldn't tell when it had happened. The armor glowed brightly, and it made her look imposing and striking.It was clearly a divine artifact.The Mystic Arts Order had been around for centuries, with deep roots and countless treasures. As the Grand Sorceress, Abigail would obviously have several divine artifacts for protection.Dustin wasn't surprised, but the armor's counterforce caught him off guard. Not only did it protect her, but it also had offensive capabilities.When his sword struck the armor earlier, the blow didn't leave a scratch. Instead, the armor absorbed the hit and sent the for
Dustin raised his hand as the black feathers rained down on him. A white energy shield flared into existence to form a wall before him.The feathers slammed into the shield and sent ripples across its surface but failed to break through. However, the black flames on the feathers spread across the shield and burned through its energy at a visible pace. In the blink of an eye, the once impenetrable barrier cracked open and left a gaping hole.Dustin couldn't hide his surprise. His mystical pure energy was far stronger than the average grandmaster's internal energy in offense and defense. It was meant to be impenetrable. He hadn't anticipated it couldn't hold up against Abigail's phoenix flame.Seeing the raw strength of her bloodline, he knew he couldn't afford to take any chances. As the black flames spread, he swiftly waved his hand to summon a furious gust of wind that sent the feathers and flames flying."Glaring Wings!" Abigail wasn't done yet. She quickly formed hand seals and
Abigail moved with lightning speed, and her figure weaved in and out like a shadow. Her swift movements left a blur of afterimages that was hard for anyone watching to keep up.On the contrary, Dustin stood still without making any movement."Fallen Fist!"After closing in, she unleashed a flurry of strikes—dozens of black palm shadows slamming toward his body, and each one was like a bullet aimed at its target.Abigail practiced a unique martial art, and it was imbued with voodoo-like properties that could kill anyone who made contact with her. But Dustin's body was immune to all poisons, so it was a perfect counter to her deadly attack.As the shadow palms closed in, he remained unshaken and thrust his palm forward.A fierce gust of wind surged and ripped through the air with unrelenting force. It collided with the black palm shadows.Abigail's black palm shadows exploded on impact and disintegrated into thick clouds of dark mist that quickly spread. Within moments, the mist e
The whole arena suddenly fell dead silent. Everyone stared blankly, and not a soul dared to breathe. Alloy shot to his feet in the main spectator seats, and his face was tense with worry. Yet, he didn't dare make a sound. He feared it might startle Glenn into making a mistake that could cost Fenley's life.After all, Fenley represented the future of the Celestial Alliance. Alloy had invested all his effort into Fenley, and he provided him with endless resources. If Fenley were to die in the match, it would deal a devastating blow to the entire guild.While Alloy was gripped with worry, Cyrus and Penelope cheered silently. They secretly hoped Glenn's sword would strike Fenley. If that happened, the Celestial Alliance would take at least a decade to regain its former glory.Fenley's body stiffened as he stared at the Fang Master hovering inches from him. A shiver ran through his spine as goosebumps prickled his skin. Sweat trickled down his face, and each drop hit the ground with a